The pilot files are encrypted.
Quote
Escape Velocity Player File Specification
by Matt Burch
Revision 1 - 4/5/97
Valid for pilot files created by EV 1.0.4 or later
See EV Bible for additional information
Note: EV pilot files are encrypted with Andrew Welch's SimpleCrypt
algorithm, available
at http://www.ambrosiasw.com/XXXXXXXXXXX. The code key used to
decrypt EV 'MpďL'
resources is 0xABCD1234. (pretty imaginative eh?)
Here's the SimpleCrypt algorithm (the link above is broken):
short i;
unsigned long magicNum= key;
unsigned long *vPtr = *resource;
unsigned char *bPtr;
for (i=resSize / 4; i > 0; i--)
{
*(vPtr++) ^=magicNum;
magicNum +=0xDEADBEEF;
magicNum ^=0xDEADBEEF;
}
magicNum^=*vPtr;
bPtr=(unsigned char *) vPtr;
for (i=resSize % 4; i > 0; i--)
{
*(bPtr++) =magicNum >> 24;
magicNum <<=8;
}
Once each resource in the pilot file is decrypted, you can look up the offsets for spob defense fleet counts:
resource 129 (universe-settings and missions)
struct AltPlayerFileDataStruct // 'MpďL' resource 129 in the pilot
file - the name of this resource is the name of the player's ship
{
short versionInfo; // used internally
short strictPlayFlag; // 0 = strict play off
short stelShipCount(1500); // number of defense ships
remaining at each planet
short personActive(512); // flag to set each 'pers' active
or not
short personGrudge(512); // flag to give a 'pers' a grudge
against the player
short unused(64); // ignored
short stelAnnoyance(1500); // keeps track of planets'
propensity to overthrow your rule
Boolean seenIntroScreen; // the player has seen the game
intro screen
short disasterTime(128); // time left on active disasters
(<0 = inactive)
short disasterStellar(128); // where each disaster is currently
active
short junkQty(128); // how much of each type of
'junk' the player has aboard
short priceFlux(2)(2); // global price fluctuations
};
So the spob fleet counts start at byte offset 5 (the 6th byte is offset 5). Each number is two bytes long, and there are 1500 of them.
Or you can just download the (url="http://"http://www.ambrosiasw.com/cgi-bin/vftp/dl-redirect.pl/PilotFileEditorV2.sit.hqx?path=evo/utilities&file;=PilotFileEditorV2.sit.hqx")Pilot Editor(/url).
-Vaumnou
------------------
Did you know that 63.8% of quoted statistics are made up on the spot?
"He's too late. SEE?!? THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY!!! Hurry up!"
"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. .... Radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is that there is no cat." - Albert Einstein
(This message has been edited by Vaumnou (edited 06-13-2003).)
